EP review: Polar States – Lost

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Liverpool-based quartet Polar States, who are self-described as “dark scratchy pop from four dreamers under a Northern sky”, released their debut EP Lost on 8th December 2017: it beautifully showcases Polar States’ sound in just four vibrant songs, and sets the band up for a good start to the new year.

The listener is captivated instantly by opening track and EP namesake, ‘Lost’, which serves as a great introduction to both the EP and the band.

The second song, ‘Meet Me In The Morning’, continues the optimistic tone with a short and extremely catchy guitar riff, giving way to strong vocals which perfectly demonstrate the bands’ lyrical capabilities. The chorus exudes confidence and sits well in the mix. In short, this is a big track that serves the EP well via its quality and consistency and thus elevates the album further.

‘Advert To My Youth’ is the third song from the EP and displays another side to Polar States’ sound and song-writing. Initially opening with a slower tempo, more melodic sound, the pace soon increases for the chorus and the song appears to grow throughout its length, with new elements added constantly. This track is placed well in the EP, ensuring that the flow from track to track is both elegant and natural, thus setting the scene for the final song.

Closing song ‘Standing On The Edges’ lures one into a false sense of security within the first few seconds, via a stripped back six-second introduction of subtle synth and reverb-laden piano. Though don’t let this deceive you: the full band soon kicks in and blows the listener away with how huge their sound is, and how much energy is present; one can only imagine how superb this song is live, as it has certainly been designed for a music-loving audience. This is a particularly strong song that is perfect for book-ending the EP.

Hearing such refreshing, mature and exciting music at the tail-end of 2017 has left me in eager anticipation for what 2018 will bring – not just for Polar States, but for all of the indie/alternative and pop scenes of the UK. This EP is one to spin, and from everything seen and heard, Polar States are ones to catch live. The standard for independent bands in 2018 has now been set.

For fans of: The Hush Sound, King No-One and Sundara Karma.

Lost is available on iTunes now. Click here to catch Polar States on SoundCloud.